Some of the biblical authors use repetition to drive home a point. It is an effective way to keep focusing our attention on something critical.The apostle John does this very well. He uses the word “abide” a lot. This refers to “a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God.”*I’m going to give … Continue reading Abide, abide, abide. Then abide some more.
relationship with God
When your negative thoughts need a smack
Dr. Sean Tobin is a clinical psychologist who brings into his practice insights from both psychotherapy and Christian spirituality.He says that right out of the gate many Christians have a barrier in their relationship with God. At a base level they think of God as one of three things: angry, distant or weak.To move forward … Continue reading When your negative thoughts need a smack
Close or distant? Permanent or occasional?
“By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:5-6).What does it mean to “abide” in Jesus? After all, this is an important word. It comes up 40 times in the Gospel of John and … Continue reading Close or distant? Permanent or occasional?
The trivialization of God
Donald McCullough has a book called “The Trivialization of God.”* You should never judge a book by its cover, of course, but the cover is particularly good. It shows a yellow pin-on button that says “God.”It’s the kind of button you might get at a political rally, or perhaps with the name or logo of … Continue reading The trivialization of God
God is jealous?
“You shall not bow down to [idols] or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:5)Some people are surprised when they learn that God can be “jealous.” However, it makes perfect sense.God chooses to use words that we can understand. “Jealous” is certainly one of those words. We can … Continue reading God is jealous?
Holding on to unkeepable things
In Mark 10:17-22 a wealthy young man asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”Jesus replied: “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do … Continue reading Holding on to unkeepable things
Put in the time
“Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8).More time with God puts you more in tune with God.When you spend time with a friend you learn more about them. The same happens with a spouse. You start to anticipate how they will respond to certain situations. You might even start … Continue reading Put in the time
The threshold to God
In Mark 6 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles on mission. They cast out demons, healed people, and preached. Verse 12 tells us something specific about the content of their preaching: “They went out and preached that people should repent.” Let’s face it. Repentance isn’t a very popular topic. If you show up at a … Continue reading The threshold to God
Come near to God and he will come near to you
A beloved New Testament verse is James 4:8: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Let’s note a few things. First, it’s a promise. When you come near (or “draw near”) to God, he will come near to you. Not “might,” but “will.” Second, how do we come near to a … Continue reading Come near to God and he will come near to you
Short cuts make long delays
Short cuts are tempting. Perhaps that’s because we would prefer things to be easy rather than hard. When I was in elementary school we had our annual long-distance run. A friend decided to take a short cut through the woods. But the coach found out. Why? Because his legs were covered in cuts from running … Continue reading Short cuts make long delays
